Saturday, October 29, 2011

Sushi Pack - The Yam Yakkers

I forgot how nice it is to do an episode that's only 11 minutes long.  Doesn't mean I take any fewer screenshots, though.
The Yam Yakkers
Aquabot-boy's new movie is premiering in Wharf City, and the Sushi Pack is ready, thanks to Maguro preordering the tickets.  Kani's excited that Vince Face, the actor playing Aquabot-boy, will be making an appearance, but Tako claims he's only a fan of the character; whoever plays him is incidental.  Ikura and Wasabi, on the other hand, are already set to get autographs.  Unfortunately, there's no day off for being a superhero, and Chief Flume arrives to let them know about the myriad of crimes going on all over the city: Sir Darkly invaded the mall, Oleander broke into all the nearby farms, and Titanium Chef raided the virus research facility!  She also belittles her own force for all taking the day off to see the movie, but no sooner does Tako pledge the Sushi Pack's help, she reveals she did the exact same thing.
Though Tako promised the Pack would take care of the problems, Ikura and Wasabi are not feeling it, and stay behind while the others roll out.  This doesn't go unnoticed by Tako, who is unmoved when Ikura states that waiting three years for a sequel is a valid excuse for not fighting crime.  Kani and Maguro try to get Ikura and Wasabi into the crime-fighting spirit with some snappy catchphrases, but no dice.  After all, there's always crime in Wharf City, but celebrities don't come around every day.
Tako goes into the many-headed thinking routine to process this information.  Is it so wrong to want a day off once in a while?  Kani interrupts him before he can finish, so he brushes her off and completes his thoughts: how to balance responsibility and pleasure?  He comes up with a compromise: Ikura and Wasabi can keep their place in line while he, Maguro, and Kani go after the villains, hopefully making it back in time.  Though not sure the plan will work, Tako and the others head off, while Ikura and Wasabi high five.
On the outskirts of town, Oleander drives away from the last farm and informs someone through a radio that she's "got them.  Phase one complete."  The abridged Sushi Pack spot her erratic driving, and Kani goes in to investigate, using her pincers to open a hole in the truck and find out just what Oleander was after.  But what she sees gives her a shock: three tons of yams?  Tako and Maguro, meanwhile, investigate the virus research facility, but they're too late, Titanium Chef is already gone with a whole van of yogurt canisters.  To be used in a sinister recipe, no doubt.  Tako and Maguro take off in the Sushi Craft and spot him driving down the road, also talking into a radio.  Phase two complete!
Maguro leaps onto the stolen van, leaving Tako to chase down Sir Darkly alone.  Which isn't too hard, considering the spectre's totally conspicuous (and awesome) vehicle.  Tako attaches the Sushi Craft to it via magnet, just in time to hear him tell the others that Phase Three of Operation Yam Yakkers (obtain mannequins) is complete.  Not wanting to see any operation set in motion by Sir Darkly, Tako takes control of the wheel.  Sir Darkly isn't worried.
As Kani confronts Oleander, Maguro uses her powers to make the Titanium Chef drive in place, but he gets rid of her with a little soy sauce (he is, after all, a master sushi chef).  Sir Darkly manages to knock Tako off the steering wheel, but the octopus is not to be deterred, clinging instead to the windshield.  Which leaves him vulnerable to the wipers, of course.
Back at the movie theater, Ikura can't help but worry about how long the others have been gone.  With the movie about to start, he wonders what to do.  Wasabi has the answer: see the movie, naturally!  Ikura agrees, and the two head inside.  However, the big climax of the movie reveals that Aquabot-boy gave up personal pleasure for responsibility, which is not lost on either Pack member.
Meanwhile, Maguro manages to catch up with Titanium Chef, Kani annoys Oleander, but doesn't get her to stop, and Tako finally maneuvers himself into a position to block out Sir Darkly's windshield with his ink.  The three vehicles end up on a collision course, with villains and Sushi Pack members alike bailing out just in time.  Looks like the end of Operation Yam Yakkers, but why are the villains bro-fisting each other?  The pile of crashed contents begin to glow, creating very odd looking vegetable...things, which immediately scoop up Tako, Maguro, and Kani.
Tako: Tell your sweet potatoes to let us go!
Oleander: They're not sweet potatoes, they are yams.
Just love the delivery there.  But it turns out those things are the Yam Yakkers, a special recipe from the Book of Chum Chop.  Not sure if they were supposed to come out looking so weird, but their main selling point is their loyalty to the villains.  To demonstrate, Titanium Chef orders the Yakkers to crush the Sushi Pack, and they oblige.  But all is not lost, as Ikura and Wasabi arrive to avenge their friends' deaths!  No need for that, though, as Maguro's forcefield was (just barely) strong enough to keep the Yakker's hand at bay.  Seeing the rest of the pack still alive, Ikura apologizes for putting his desires over his responsibilities, but Kani just tells him they can discuss it later.  Right now, they've got some potatoes to mash!  (Or rather, yams, as Oleander once again points out.)
The Pack attack from all sides, but the Yakkers are just too big!  Just when it seems they've got no chance of winning, Wasabi points out a glowing building, and the Pack heads on over.  Seeing this as a retreat, Oleander orders the Yakkers to follow suit, sending them right into the Sushi Pack's trap.  They slip on Ikura's orange roe and Wasabi's....whatever, and Maguro opens a cargo bay door just as they approach it.  The other villains also fall victim to the slippery path, though they merely fall on their faces. It turns out that the building is the Wharf City Cannery, a fitting end for yams.  And, as Tako points out, the other villains are headed for "the can" as well.
With everything taken care of, Ikura and Wasabi apologize again, but Maguro insists that the important thing is that they recognized their wrong and rectified it.  And, since they saved Wharf City yet again, Vince Face saw fit to stick around (in full Aquabot-boy costume) and give them a special screening of the movie.  Face-to-face with, well, Face, Tako abandons his earlier stance and asks for an autograph, with Maguro mocking him for it.  But hey, the guy is still in costume.

Not too much to say about this one, but I did like Titanium Chef's radio handle (Big Daddy Fish).  The whole thing felt a little rushed, but I like it anyway.

Misc. Screenshots
Tako gets in Ikura's face
Happy villains
Tako helps Kani up
High five!

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